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Nestled nicely into his National Hockey League debut, he glides over for a faceoff.

Corban Knight, nerves now settled, is the picture of poise.

Unfortunately for the Calgary Flames’ freshman, by the time he gets to the dot, the linesman has already dropped the puck, giving Ottawa Senators centre Zack Smith a freebie.

Welcome to the league, sonny.

“Maybe one of the older guys would have got that blown dead,” Knight, chuckling, says afterward. “But I wasn’t going to say anything. Just part of being a rookie. You put your head down and keep going.”

Which is precisely what he did.

The High River native took 18 faceoffs, winning 11. That 61 per cent efficiency Wednesday was the best for either squad.

“The centremen here are definitely better than the American league, that’s for sure,” Knight says. “A lot stronger. A lot of them are pretty wily vets when it comes to that.

“It was definitely a challenge.”

But what’s a faceoff lesson or two? Especially compared to the year-long roller-coaster endured by Knight and his folks, Jack and Laurie.

Ups and downs? Kid’s rights are traded to the hometown Flames . . . Days later, the family home is destroyed by flood . . . Knight starts the season in the minors . . . Family returns to their restored house only three weeks ago . . . Knight is called up Tuesday. Makes his first NHL appearance the next night.

“It has been a stretching time for us,” says Jack, who serves as one of the Flames’ chaplains. “But you know what? We’re a very close family and we put the oars in together as a family and just move forward, right?”

While the Knights were busily getting their home (and lives) in order this winter, their son was toiling in Abbotsford — and wondering. After all, he had been an acquisition of Jay Feaster (who tellingly had handed Knight an NHL jersey with an everyday number, 10, right off the bat). Then Feaster got sacked. Brian Burke, suddenly, was in charge.

“Hopefully, it’s good enough for any general manager,” says Knight, six foot two, 200 pounds, “if I just keep competing and working hard to improve.”

He was right.

Tuesday, after the Heat’s loss to the Texas Stars, Knight had been wolfing down his post-game vittles when he heard that Troy Ward was looking for him. (“Not always a good thing.”) He tiptoed to the coach’s office where he found Ward . . .

“With a grimace on his face,” says Knight. “I’m like, ‘Oh-oh.’ And he’s like, ‘So how did you think you played today?’ And I was like, ‘Uh, pretty good.’ And he was like, ‘Good’s like kissing your sister.’ And I’m like, ‘OK.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I think the Flames thought you played good, so you’re getting the call.’ I was happy to get that news, for sure.

“I was pretty pumped to say the least.”

After a nervous night in Calgary — “I spent a couple hours staring at the ceiling” — he got his moment. Centring winger (and Heat roommate) Ben Hanowski and enforcer Brian McGrattan, Knight banked Game No. 1. In a win, to boot.

Like other debuts — with UND versus Merrimack College; with Abbotsford at Cleveland — he’ll never forget.

“It was everything I thought it was going to be, and probably more,” says Knight. “To play in your first NHL game and to do it at home in front of family and friends? Definitely a memorable night.”

Think the youngster was stoked?

That had been nothing compared to his parents’ emotion.

“You could probably take (my excitement level) and times it by three or four,” says Knight, laughing. “The fact it’s so close to home and we grew up watching Flames games . . . and to actually see their son on the ice. I know my dad was pretty giddy all afternoon. My mom was saying she hasn’t seen him act like that in a long time. Like a little boy, I guess.”

Jack doesn’t bother to deny the thrill of it.

“For us, five years waiting since he was drafted (in the fifth round by Florida),” says Jack. “But we knew the timing would be right. You’ve just got to be patient, right?”

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Flames’ Knight looks to build off of big night in the faceoff circle during NHL debut

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